Examining Religious Accommodations at Work

When the Supreme Court ruled in June 2023 that employers must provide religious accommodations for their employees in the workplace, that decision added a new branch of psychological safety and affirmed workers’ ability for self-expression. While Groff v. DeJoy included the caveat that, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers must accommodate employees’ religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would amount to undue hardship for the employer, the decision at minimum opened the door for conversations and policies that perhaps did not previously exist.

As employers update internal policies, handbooks and procedures for processing religious accommodation requests, and training managers and supervisors, as well as human resources personnel, they must address what is reasonable, the potential impact on an organization, and how to balance professionalism with workplace expression.

“I do think establishing a welcoming policy is important for an organization as a whole,” said Dr. Amy Crook, SIOP Member and associate professor of management at the Jack C. Massey College of Business at Belmont University. “People need clarity and supervisors need training. Reasonable accommodation is not a one-size-fits-all policy.”

In forming policies, she suggested that employers might consider how to be respectful toward religious expression that may include displays at a person’s workstation, clothing, jewelry or other identity markers. Office-wide calendars should include all recognized religious holidays and employees should try to avoid scheduling meetings or deadlines on those dates.

Many organizations offer flex-use holidays or floating holidays for employees, in addition to designated office closure dates on pre-selected dates (often federal holidays). Employees may use the floating holidays as needed for a religious observance or for another activity of their choice, such as their birthday.

“The floating holiday addresses the issue of fairness because everybody gets the same benefit,” said Joshua Nagel, SIOP student member, Ph.D candidate, and adjunct instructor at Baruch College. “It may not solve all of the issues, and it may not offer the same psychological benefit as a vacation.”

Indeed, many religious observations carry a more solemn tone and may require fasting or be restrictive in some way. They represent commitments to one’s faith, not recreation or vacation. Understanding the obligations of a faith-based event may alter how coworkers might perceive the sincerity of someone’s need for accommodation. Additionally, guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states that the employer should assume an employee’s request is based on a sincerely held religious belief, whether or not they have a clear understanding of the particular faith or practice.

Nagel has dived deeply into this issue as he completes his 2025 dissertation entitled “Justice, Justice Pursue: Coworker reactions to religious workplace accommodations.”

“This is an under-studied area and one of many diversity issues in the workplace but it is an area being talked about more to make workplaces inclusive for everyone,” Nagel said. “People’s religious identities are important to them.”

The panel also discussed food, which is often a facet of religious expression. Some observances require fasting or particular diets, making lunch meetings a challenge for some. In shared spaces at an office, such as a kitchen, employees should be sensitive not only to food allergens but also faith-based dietary restrictions.

Although, as Nagel pointed out, a catered lunch is a nice benefit to provide for employees, especially during a lengthy planning session or to celebrate a recent success. “There are so many people with dietary restrictions but it can be hard for employees to make those requests,” he said.

“Let’s normalize the conversation around food,” Dr. Crook said. Employers should make the effort to consider any food requirements in advance of any work function that offers food or beverages.

“We can create healthy working environments and allow people to lean into their personal values,” Dr. Crook said. “It’s not just about legalese but there are very positive traits among people whose values are important to them, and you typically get better quality work from employees who can bring their whole self to work.”

This topic was discussed at the 2025 SIOP Annual Conference in a session titled “Discussing DEI Implications of Religion at Work.” Panelists of different faiths, including Dr. Crook and Mr. Nagel, shared different situations they have encountered in their workplaces and the challenges of shaping new policies.